


Futuristic Attractions

by Symcnys



Category: PewDiePie - Fandom, youtube - Fandom
Genre: Cyberpunk, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23748208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Symcnys/pseuds/Symcnys
Summary: In the year 2053, Dr. Nika Siegenthaler is assigned to the case of 27-year-old Felix Kjellberg
Relationships: Felix Kjellberg / OC, Felix Kjellberg / Reader, PewDiePie / Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. One

This story takes place in an alternate universe where Felix was born in 2027. The story takes place in 2053 in Seattle.  
"Dr. Siegenthaler, your next patient is here to see you" Said a meek voice. My nurse, Diana smiled at me.  
"Send them in, Dee" I nodded. She shut the door. I polished off some of my tools. A small chip blemished my screwdriver. I sighed before placing it back in my toolbox. A new document popped up on my retinal screen. The soft tapping of shoes grew louder. A soft knock sounded at the door. "Come in," I said loudly. The door creaked open and a tall man with blonde hair stepped inside. "Go ahead and take a seat" I told him as I gestured to the examination table. He shuffled over to the table and sat down, the material squeaking under him. "Can I get a name, dear?" I asked.  
"Felix Kjellberg" He told me. His jaw was clenched and his shoulders were raised. The cybernetic information processor implant into my temporal lobe began typing the information. He wasn't previously added to our system, meaning he's a new patient.  
"Your age?" I asked.  
"Twenty-six" He responded. The processor recorded the information. I closed the screen and stood up.  
"So why'd you come here today. What seems to be the problem?" I asked.  
"I have a cybernetic arm and it's just not working like it used to. My regular engineer moved to Canada. You'll be able to work on it, right?" He looked sort of desperate. I was concerned, but needed to keep up a confident front.  
"Yeah. I've been training in cybernetic engineering all my life. I've never been unable to operate on someone" I told him as I took a seat next to him. "Can you take off your sweatshirt so I can see your whole arm?" I asked him. He nodded and removed the black patterned hoodie. I immediately recognized his bionic arm as Impax Cybernetics 3.0, an extremely old model. "Oh shit" I said under my breath. He pulled his arm back nervously. "Sorry you just have a really old model. Can I see your arm again?" I asked, pulling a screwdriver out of my pocket. He nodded and held his arm out for me. I rested his arm on my leg and began undoing a screw. He flinched.  
"That hurts a bit." He winced.  
"I just have to get this plate off so I can disable the nerve connectivity. You won't feel pain after that." I explained.  
"Okay, just make it quick." He shut his eyes. I knew I'd strip the screws if I sped my pace up, so I had to distract him.  
"Kjellberg isn't an American last name. Where are you from?" I asked as I finished the first screw.  
"Sweden. Where are you from?" He asked, still keeping his eyes shut.  
"I was born in Switzerland but I kept getting moved from France and back to Switzerland so both my parents could see me without seeing each other" I explained. "French women are apparently hard to deal with" I finished the second screw and set it down next to the other.  
"I've never dealt with a French woman, or a Swiss woman, so I can't verify that" He chuckled. I was nearly finished with the third screw.  
"What do you do for a living?" I asked.  
"I work at oculus cybernetics as a testing administrator and I'm an online entertainment creator in my free time."  
"I have an information processor from them. I use it for work so I got it for free. I also love to use it to play games once I'm off the clock" I pulled my hair back to show him.  
"I wish I had one of those." He sighed. I finished with the last screw and removed the panel. He winced and pulled away.  
"I see why you're in so much pain," I said as I observed the decayed nerve connectors. I flicked an internal switch that cut off the nerve impulses to his arm. He looked puzzled as he tried to figure out where the pain went. "Do you ever get random pains in your arm?" I asked.  
"Yeah all the time." He responded.  
"You're going to need a replacement of this otherwise it could do damage," I told him as I placed the plate back on. "I'm leaving the pain receptors off so it won't hurt you, but you should get into surgery as soon as possible" I placed a hand on his upper arm.  
"Wait I don't have enough money for that, is there any other option?" He asked.  
"I'll contact the ministry of cybernetics to get the arm free for you. You don't need to worry about that. Your health is more important than a few bucks" I told him as I set the last screw back in place.  
"Thank you Dr. Siegenthaler" He smiled.  
"It's Nika" I shrugged. "I'm going to request that you're taken into our pre-op care facility for the night. Any strain on your arm could do more damage, and since I turned off your pain receptors, you wouldn't be able to notice if anything bad happened. If you give me the number of your boss so I can contact them and say you'll be out for the next three days"  
"Wait but will I get paid?" He asked.  
"It's illegal for them not to pay you while you're in the hospital," I explained.  
"Thank you, Nika" He smiled.  
"Could I get your number?" I pulled out my phone. He flushed pink.  
"Why?" He asked.  
"So I can notify you when the ministry accepts your case and also what your boss will say" I explained. He took a moment to register what I said before entering his number into my phone  
"Thank you for all of this, Nika. I really appreciate it"  
"Of course. Can I tell you something?" I asked him. He nodded again, a slight pink rose on his cheeks. "I moved out here about four or five years ago when I was freshly 19. I didn't know much English and I had a horrible southern French accent but I needed to get into a vocational school in America to become a surgeon. I got accepted into the school of my dreams but my dad had gotten a new family and his wife just had twins, so I was the forgotten child. My mom was dirt poor too so I had no way of paying for it-"  
~ flashback ~   
I stood on a street corner wearing a ripped dress and a long leather jacket once belonging to my father. I didn't have any more quarters to use in the phone booth and my friend wasn't picking up. I sighed to myself, knowing that it meant I either had to find a shelter or a shantytown. I always had trouble getting into shelters because of my limited English, so I decided to not risk it and instead I decided to find a cluster. I walked down a barren alleyway. A buff man with a greying beard walked by me.  
"Sir?" I asked. He turned and looked at me. "I need bed. Sleep?" I mimed sleeping with snoring noises before looking at him again.  
"So do I, lady." He said in a harsh tone as he turned away. I frowned and continued walking. I walked by a shaking tent. Moaning arose from it. I began walking faster. I looked down at my feet and noticed the needles I was stepping around. I gasped but did my best to hide my shock.  
"You want to join?" I heard a deep voice say from the tent. I started sprinting out of the alleyway. I was met face-to-face with a large building. The Seattle Institute of technologically advanced surgery. It was my school. I noticed a patch of grass outside the entrance and decided to claim it as my home. It was well lit so it seemed safer than the alley. I sat down in the grass patch and slept with my back propped up against the wall. I clutched my leather jacket.  
I woke up to the loud sounds of crashing metal. I saw a car heading directly towards me. I lifted my arm to block myself. I felt a shattering within my body and screamed.  
I'd broken several ribs, an arm, a wrist, and received a concussion. The college I was attending said they didn't want a surgeon with a messed up wrist, so I lost my position.  
A nurse approached me in the hospital. She had long brown hair and kind eyes, the type a mother has.  
"Nika, I teach at the Seattle Institute of Cybernetic Engineering. Would you be interested in learning engineering?" She asked. I looked puzzled. She nodded and pulled up a picture of a bionic arm. I nodded with a beaming smile.  
From that day on, Diana took me in, covered my medical bills, got me a new arm and hand- along with other bionics- and taught me everything I know about cybernetics.  
~  
"That's why I'm so passionate about helping people. I know the system is broken and that's why I always appeal to the ministry for any cases where my patients need financial aid. I'm not gonna let anyone who walks in here end up sleeping on the street" I explained.  
"Thank you, Nika" Felix wrapped his arms around me.  
"Hey. Ya gotta help a fellow gamer in need" I laughed.


	2. Two

Felix's POV

The hospital bed was quite uncomfortable and the food had gone cold by now. I was too nervous to eat. They'd connected an Intra-Cable (IC) to my bionic arm to make sure it's condition wasn't worsening. I also couldn't get my mind off of Nika. She saved me a fortune. Unfortunately, Oculus doesn't pay well but it was the best job I could find out of college. My phone buzzed in my pocket. My roommate Declan was calling. I picked up.

"Dude where are you?" He asked, the noise of the TV in the background.

"I'm at the cybernetic hospital. I'm going into surgery tomorrow. I'm getting a new arm" I explained. The line went silent except for the chattering voices on TV and the jaunty tune of the commercial jingle.

"But you're broke. You're living on company motherfucking housing" He said in a harsh tone. "If you start drowning in debt then I'm gonna have to save you and I don't have anything either"

"My doctor sent in an appeal to the ministry to get the procedure for free. And I'll be getting the Impax 11.0 too" I explained with a smile on my face.

"How the fuck-"

"She's amazing. I...she saved me from going into debt again" I felt my face warm up just thinking about her. "She's cute too"

"Maybe she'll let your inpatient fee slide if you get into her p-" Declan laughed.

"Hey stop that's not funny" I clenched my jaw. The laughing died down on his end. He sighed.

"I'm just saying...getting a hot doctor to do that for me, jeez- I'll spare you from what I'm thinking" He laughed lightly.

"Dude stop. I don't want to hear about that shit" I hung up the phone and put it away. I felt another buzz but didn't bother to check.

I looked down at the IC import in my arm and flexed a finger. I wish I wouldn't have gotten the bionic arm in the first place.

~ flashback ~

"Felix I'm telling you this is a thing of the future! Plus it'll make me feel like less of a freak. Don't you love me?" Ally grabbed my hand. Her eyes pierced into my soul. I didn't want to lose my arm for her but I also didn't want to lose her.

"Of course I do, baby. I just don't know if I want to-"

"Then you don't love me!" She shouted, "If you loved me, you wouldn't make me feel so alone. You wouldn't let me feel uncomfortable in my skin. And you'd do anything for me. Anything, Felix."

I sighed. I didn't want her to leave me again. I've loved her since högstadiet and I don't want to lose her. I looked down at my arm and flexed my fingers. It's just an arm, right? I mean the Bionic ones are so advanced now that I won't be able to know the difference.

"Okay. I'll do it" I told her.

"Good because I already booked an appointment for tonight" She got on her toes and kissed my cheek. Would she have forced me into it anyway? No...she wouldn't have. She loves me, right? God, Felix what the fuck did you do. I locked myself in the bathroom and turned the shower on. I dialed up my best friend, Declan, and put the phone up to my ear. I heard a click and his voice sounded through the speaker.

"Hey Felix. Whats- why is it so loud?" He asked.

"I'm in the bathroom. I said I'd get the surgery and she scheduled it for tonight. I don't know what to do. I don't want to lose my arm" I felt my body shaking. A dull pain grew in my throat. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks as I rocked myself back and forth.

"I can't help you now. I'm sorry. I'd say do anything you can to get out of there. If anything bad happens, come out here to Seattle with me. I can get you a job at Oculus. We're understaffed anyways" He consoled me through the phone.

"But I love her" I sniffled. "I've loved her for years, Dec"

"It sounds like she's manipulative. I mean I always hear her screaming at you whenever we're playing Syndicus Rising: Outbreak and stuff. I'd get out of there soon"

"No, dude. We're happy. I love her" I smiled through my tears. I knew it wasn't true.

"We both know you're lying. I want you out here as soon as possible. We'll rebuild your life" He hung up. The sounds of the shower filled my ears. I screamed and hit the tiled floor with my fist. I struck again and again until my fist was bleeding. I heard a pounding at the door.

"Felix we need to go!" Ally yelled. I turned off the showerhead and sat on the edge of the bathtub.

"I'll pack a bag of everything I need...leave it under the bed...and leave as soon as I get back" I said to myself. The door unlocked and Ally walked in with a key in her hand.

"Come on. What the hell are you doing?" She growled and grabbed my wrist. I winced in pain but followed her lead.

I sat in the waiting room of the engineer's office.

"Ally Karlsson?" A man with graying hair called out. Ally stood up and grabbed my arm. She ushered me into the consultation room. I sat down on the examination table. The man grabbed my arm and began poking around and observing my skin.

"This will work just fine" He nodded. I felt a pain in my arm and watched as a needle plunged itself into my skin. I felt a haze come over me and a weird taste manifested itself into my mouth.

I woke up with a pain in my head and a tender feeling in my arm.

"It was a success." I heard Ally say. "We have the same arm now!"

I mustered up enough strength to raise my head and look down. An ugly hunk of metal replaced my arm. I screamed as my head fell back down. The metal of the examination table sounded beneath me.

She drove me home and I left as soon as I was able to comprehend what was going on. I slumped over the counter at the airport and purchased a ticket to Seattle. I didn't look back once the gate shut. I blocked her on all platforms and began a new life in America. I'm confident in my ability to hide from her.

~

I heard a soft tapping on my door. I snapped out of my Haze and wiped a tear away from my cheek.

"Come in," I said. Nika entered the room with various equipment.

"I'm here to take vitals. You're the last patient on the list so I told my nurse that I'd take over on your case" She grinned. "I need to take blood pressure, temperature, and check your IC plug. Then you'll be able to sleep without me annoying you" She explained as she wrapped the cuff around my normal arm.

"What type of bionic arms do you have?" I asked her, trying not to focus on the fact that she was leaning over me.

"Impax 11.0. It's the one you're going to get. It's gonna take some getting used to, especially coming from a 3.0, but I'm confident you'll function better" She explained. The machine beeped. She took the cuff off and placed it at the foot of the bed. She took out a gun-looking machine and swiped it across my forehead. "Your vitals are great. You'll have no problem going into surgery" She smiled as she wrote everything down. "Makes my job easier"

"How about my arm?" I asked, wiggling my bionic fingers.

"I'll check it. Don't be impatient" she laughed. She took out a screwdriver and began undoing a few screws. She removed a plate and looked at the internal structures of my arm. "It looks bad but waiting a few more hours to operate can't hurt you. I might move your surgery up a few hours though" She sighed as she redid the screws. "I'm going to go ahead and stay here just in case anything were to happen. I'll get a nurse to check in on you every few hours. I'm sorry if you can't sleep well, but you'll be able to rest after the surgery" She explained.

"Okay" I nodded.

"If you need anything, you can push the blue button on your IC machine. It'll wake me up and I'll be in here ASAP. My room is only a few doors down" She pointed to a blue button labeled with a white exclamation point.

"How will my arms look with the 11.0?" I asked. She smiled.

"I'll show you." She said as she took off her jacket. From further away it was hard to tell if she actually had bionic arms. "They match your skin tone" She said as she sat down at the foot of my bed. I sat up to get a closer look at her arm.

"Woah" I whispered under my breath as I looked at all the details of the bionic piece.

"The main component is a white piece that gets attached to the stump where your arm was amputated at. The skin-colored parts which cover everything but a bit of the joint can be matched specifically to your skin tone and changed out whenever you want. There are also magnetic attachments that are set in place over the screws to hide any signs of mechanics. I think this is the smoothest and most natural-looking option to date. They're starting to accept surgeons into medical school if they have the 11.0" She explained as she allowed me to examine her hand. I toyed with the bionic, flexing her fingers and observing the gaps in the skin plates appear and disappear. There was a warmth to her hand that made it seem realistic.

"Thank you for showing me" I grinned as I let go of her hand.

"Of course. Also, the Ministry accepted your case and shipped your bionic arm out. It got here a half-hour ago" She grinned. I looked at her in shock before pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you so much!" I smiled. She wrapped her bionic arms around me and laughed lightly.

"Also your boss is letting you off for the rest of the week on full pay. I may have played up the situation a bit" She laughed.


	3. Three

This chapter contains a surgery scene with somewhat graphic depictions. By reading this message, you acknowledge that you may be reading a potentially triggering subject and therefore accept the risk by continuing to read.

Nika's POV

I thoroughly scrubbed my hands, making sure every inch was disinfected before going into the OR. Diana helped me get my hands into sterile gloves. Another nurse wheeled Felix in. He was zoned out from some of the anesthesia. Due to his taller frame, he'd require more. I walked over to him and grabbed his hand.

"In about four hours you'll have a new arm," I told him. He nodded and smiled.

"How do I look in this gown?" He asked with a drunken smile.

"Ten out of ten. The hairnet adds an extra special touch." I said as I pointed to the blue fabric over his head. "We're getting set up right now, but I figured I'd stay here and talk to you before you're out" I told him with a grin.

"Okay. How is this gonna work?" He asked, flexing his bionic fingers

"I'm going to remove the outer plates first and then remove the core of the bionic. If your nerves are damaged then we'll create artificial wire ones that'll fit into your new bionic. Then it's just plugging everything in and screwing all the plates into place" I explained, brushing my thumb against the palm of his hand to help him pay more attention. He nodded before closing his eyes for a brief moment.

"We're all set up, Nika" Diana told me with a tap on the shoulder. I looked back and nodded.

"Hey, If I die will you bury me in this hat?" Felix asked with a smirk across his fading face.

"You're not gonna die, Felix. Not under my watch" I crossed my arms.

"Fine. then save one of my fingers" He laughed to himself. Two nurses helped lift him onto the operation table. "Cold" Felix shivered.

"Yeah sorry about that" I frowned. "You won't feel it in a minute" I clutched his hand as the anesthesiologist injected anesthetic into his IV. He rolled his head over from side to side.

"How long does this take to kick in?" He asked.

"Oh it doesn't" I told him. A look of horror grew on his face before he passed out. I laughed to myself and turned to my anesthesiologist. "Brain activity looking good? I just wanna make sure he's out" I asked her. She nodded.

A nurse intubated him with ease. Removing the plates was simple. I dropped each of the screws into a small dish. I removed plate after plate before exposing the core of the piece. It was badly decayed, obviously meaning the doctor who put it in did a shit job. One of my nurses looked shocked when she observed the rusted and fraying cables. I removed the core leaving just a stump with the cut right under his elbow, and a metal rod for mounting the bionic arm. The cut was uneven and the nerve threading was obviously rushed.

"I need to fix this," I told my nurse. I took a ruler and measured where I should cut. I drew on small marks around his arm to keep my cutting on track. I took a scalpel and carefully made slices into his skin, avoiding hitting the rod. The knife smoothly cut with a gentle squelching sound. A nurse cauterized the exposed arteries and veins as I cut along the marks I made. The extra skin was removed from his arm and set aside in a bio-hazard bag. His incision, even though it wouldn't be seen once the bionic arm was on, looked much neater and even. The nerves sprouting out the bottom of his arm, that had been previously isolated by his past surgeon, were cut down. The most damaged parts were removed and set aside. I took a wire and inserted the connector prongs into the base of the cut. I was handed a melding iron to mold flesh and metal together. A binding metal adhesive was placed around the connection. An artificial skin layer was placed over the open wounds. As Felix heals his arm naturally, the barrier will begin to dissolve. This prevents any infection from growing. Just to be sure, he will be placed on antibiotics and dermaplasia medication to assist in healing.

After an hour and a half of readjusting and fixing his nerves with new wire endings, the core was ready to be attached. I slid the prosthetic onto the rod. A faint clicking sounded as the arm grasped onto the rod. The bionic arm fit snugly into place. I attached some screws to the rod to fix the bionic arm into place. To test its strength, a nurse pulled on the arm. Nothing budged. The final step was to screw the cosmetic plates into place and add the screw caps. The color of the plate perfectly matched his pale complexion. Depth in the complexion was added to the plate to achieve a natural look. There was even a small birthmark near his wrist. The nurses helped me set the screw caps into place and I sealed in the work using a mechanical sealing spray that reduces movement of the screw caps. Diana and another nurse sent him to recovery. I had the bionic arm sent into my office so I could try and pinpoint the original engineer who fixed it onto Felix.

I made my way through the dimmed hallways of the recovery center. The sun had gone down now and the neon city illuminated the night sky. I stopped in my tracks to admire Neo-Seattle and all of its glory. My apartment building was fitted with a neon blue trim illuminating its edges. I felt a buzz in my jacket pocket, pulling me out of my dazed state. A nurse named Jordan texted me saying that Felix was complaining of joint stiffness. I texted him back with a simple "Be there in two" before setting off down the hallway. I wasn't too far from Felix's room. A light was shining above the door frame of his room. I entered and closed the door behind me.

"Joint stiffness?" I asked

"Yeah I can't bend my index finger" He held up his arm. I grabbed q-tips and a sealant remover from the cabinet. I set the supplies down at the foot of the bed and took a seat next to him. He held out his arm for me. I dipped the q-tip into the liquid formula before swiping it over the joint on his index finger. I bent his finger and it seemed to move just fine.

"Is that better?" I asked him.

"Yeah definitely. Thank you" He smiled as he flexed his finger. "I can't tell the difference between my two arms now," He said, observing the skin patterns on his bionic arm.

"Do you know who installed your arm the first time?" I asked him.

"It was a doctor in Sweden" He explained, "And it was so long ago that I can't remember"

"That's okay. I can track the serial number" I grabbed his arm again and began flexing the joints in his fingers. "I'm just going to check the rest of your joints before I leave," I explained. He nodded and watched as I flexed and extended his fingers. "Any discomfort or foreign feelings?" I asked him.

"It feels a bit weird" He shrugged. "No pain or anything super uncomfortable"

"That's a good sign. I think I'm going to keep you here for another twenty-four hours. We replaced your nerves and I want to make sure that there isn't any issue with the connection between the authentic and artificial nerves" I explained. "I also trimmed up your incisions a bit. You had a real shit doctor"

"I didn't make the appointment so it's not like I could've found the best solution" He looked down at his arm.

"You've got a good one now though" I smiled.

"Yeah. Thank you for getting me the arm for free" He brightly smiled at me.

"Of course. You needed it" I told him. A silence fell between us. I noticed a ringing in my ears that grew louder. I looked down at the supplies I brought over and picked them up. "I'll be on call again tonight. You know what to do if you need help" I told him as I rose to my feet. "I'll do a check-in tomorrow morning"

I placed the formula and q-tips into the cabinet.

"Thanks, Nika" Felix said from the hospital bed.

"Of course, Felix" I smiled and waved as I left the room


	4. Four

I woke up and stretched my legs. I pushed myself off of the firm mattress in the overnight staff room. I got dressed for the day and placed a lanyard around my neck. My first patient of the day was a nineteen-year-old female who had a bionic leg after an amputation. I rapped on the door frame. She looked up with a smile.

"Hey Nika!" She said as she pulled the covers off of her leg.

"I'll just do a quick inspection and then I'll have someone discharge you" I told her as I put on latex gloves. She nodded and held out her leg. None of the screw caps had loosened and all the plates were in place. The attachment site had no sign of infection or irritation. The outward appearance gave no indication that the internal structures would be damaged, so I removed my gloves and placed the blanket over her leg again. "Everything looks great. I don't think you'll have any issue going through our physical therapy and training regiment."

"When do I start that?" She asked.

"I recommend starting as soon as you can. You'll be moved to our rehabilitation facility where you'll have about one hour of training twice a day. The nurses will make sure you're adjusting properly. It'll last about three days." I explain.

"How much does it cost?" She asked with a concerned look on her face.

"It's paid for by the Ministry of Cybernetics. You won't have to pay" I explained.

"Really? Thank you!" A grin stretched across her face.

"Of course. You'll be transferred over once you set up your schedule for it." I stood up. "I hope this new leg works out great for you." I nodded and waved before leaving the room. I pressed a button on a panel by the door frame. I closed the door and checked my list on my information processor implant. The only other patient under my care in recovery is Felix. Then a few more consultations and then I can go home for the first time in three days. I walked down the corridor. I was excited to get back to Neo-Seattle prime. I assume my roommate hasn't been dealing with my cat well. I laughed thinking about my cat, Missy, screaming in the early hours like she usually does.

I approached the door. I knocked lightly before entering. Felix was staring at something on his phone.

"Hey, Felix. How are you feeling?" I asked him as I put on gloves.

"Tired" He chuckled lightly. "But I like this arm a lot more than my last" He said as he flexed his fingers and admired the presentation of the bionic.

"All right, well let's take a look" I said as I pushed up the sleeve of his gown. His arm was looking great. There weren't as many aggravation marks on his skin as there usually is after modifying an amputation like that. The sealing coat on top of the screw caps was firmly in place. "Any pain or burning?" I asked.

"No. None that I can think of." He shrugged.

"That's a really good sign" I smiled at him.

"So when will I be released?" He asked. "I should be getting back to work"

"Well I think you can be discharged today. Just call us if you have any pain, swelling, dysfunction of the arm, or discharge of fluid at the attachment site" I told him. "I want to set up an appointment for a week from now just to see how you're healing"

"Okay. When are you free next Friday?" He asked, pulling up a calendar on his phone. My schedule popped up on my information processor implant.

"Any time after noon" I said, closing the program.

"I get off work at five, will seven work?" He asked.

"Yeah that should be fine" I nodded as the appointment was automatically scheduled into the program.

"Oh and can you show me the applications on my arm? I heard it has a feature that syncs with your phone"

"Yeah I'll help you set it up" I said as I moved closer to him. He held out his arm and I grasped it. I showed him a hidden button that moved a plate to reveal a screen. The screen read "Welcome, Felix" A new screen popped up with a single button to sync a phone. He pressed the button and held up his phone to the screen. His phone vibrated to signal the completion of the task.

"This will keep track of the state of your arm, track your vitals, can check for serious diseases you may have, and also all of your notifications can be seen from this. You can install a lot of apps onto it too. This also tracks the location of your phone in case you lose it" I explained as I swiped through the screen and showed off various features.

"Okay I think that makes sense. Thanks, Nika" Felix said with a smile.

"You'll be discharged soon. I'll contact your boss and tell them that you should only use your arm if necessary while your nerves are still healing" I explained. "Do you have a way to get home?"

"Oh I can get an AirLyft" He shrugged. I nodded.

"Alright. I'll have a nurse get your things together. And I'll see you next Friday


	5. Five

I woke up surrounded by hastily thrown blankets. Missy was at my feet vibrating lightly with a low sound emitting from her. I checked my phone and sighed with relief when the date read Saturday. I was always off on Saturdays and it never changed. I heard shuffling footsteps outside the door.

"Come in," I said. The door flung open and my roommate, Eli, ran in holding two tickets.

"I have tickets to the release party of the new oculus and steam collaboration implant!" She said running to the foot of my bed. "We'll be able to test it out! Plus who knows who could be there! Maybe some prestigious game designers. You could meet other engineers too!"

"How did you get them?" I asked, taking one in my hand. The light coming in through my window reflected off of the metallic silver surface of the ticket.

"I have a cousin who is best friends with one of the lead engineers who worked on the project. He's going on a date with his husband tonight so he gave the tickets to me." She explained.

"Sick! I'm super excited. Will there be food?" I handed the ticket back to her.

"Just some snacks so nobody gets too hungry during the tests. We should go out to eat first."

"Shit we need to go to Angelo's then!" I shot up and grinned at her.  
"Pizza? Dammit I wanted ramen" She mumbled. We both looked at each other.

"Miu's?" We asked in unison. I nodded and she chuckled.

I finished getting ready and put on setting spray to hold my makeup in place. I placed the lipstick I put on into my backpack and swung the small bag over my shoulder. Eli was waiting on the couch. She was wearing a dress similar to mine.

"Aye lookin' cute. You ready?" She asked.

"Make sure your tracking is working in case we get separated," I told her. She pressed a button embedded into her temple and nodded. I did the same.

"Oh can you make sure there isn't any dust in the creases of my faceplate?" She asked, stepping closer. I nodded. She pushed a button on her wrist and her face opened up, dividing in two halves. She looked at me, patiently awaiting my response.

"Yeah you're good" I nodded. She closed the plates and her face returned to normal.

"Thank god. I think I need to pick up a new cleaning tool because I swore I saw some shit clinging on" She crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Maybe. It could also just be your mirror" I told her. We walked into the elevator. I grabbed the rail at the back as it quickly descended from the sixty-third floor to the lobby. The doors opened and both of us walked out. Eli fixed her hair in the reflection of the mirrored walls. An Airlyft was waiting for us outside. An android in a black suit opened the door for us. We sat down in the plush black leather seats. The car ascended into the air and began its journey to the Tokyo district of Neo-Seattle. The windows were dimmed so the neon lights of the city wouldn't be too blinding as we drove along the hover-route.

"Hey, Doctor Brodeur is attending. You should try and talk to him! If you don't, I will" Eli said as she showed me her phone. "Both of you are French. It's a great match!"

"Nah I'm not super into buff guys" I shook my head. Eli took her phone back and shrugged.

We sat down at Miu's and began swiping through the digitally projected menu in the middle of the table.

"I don't want anything too heavy because I know I'll be nauseous if I eat a lot" Eli said, looking at the sides.

"Have you been taking those meds?" I asked, scanning through the ramen.

"Yeah I think I'm just having a bad flare-up. Hopefully it'll end soon" She said "Oh I know what I want!" She clapped her hands. "I'm gonna get a small portion of their chicken fried rice"

"Nice. I'm going with the tonkatsu ramen" I said as I pressed a service button. An ordering screen popped up and we selected our meals along with two glasses of water.

"Hey so are you looking at any guys?" You always get quiet when you're thinking a lot"

"No. Things have been too busy at work for that" I explained. "I assume you've got someone on your mind"

"Well I got ghosted by the girl you set me up with. So now I'm going to try and find someone at the party but I don't know..." She sighed.

"That's not normal for May. Did something happen between you two?" I asked her as an automated robotic clerk placed our water on the table

"I'm not sure. She did just get out of a relationship though. Maybe it was too soon?" Eli shrugged as she grabbed her cup.

"Maybe. I'll make sure I pick someone better for you if you ask me again" I sipped at my water.

"Oh hey didn't you just do a big replacement surgery? With nerve replacements too? How did that go?" Eli sat up and crossed her arms.

"Oh yeah. My god his nerves were shred. He was complaining of pain so I had to use wire nerve replacements. He seemed really happy with the arm"

"Which model?" She asked.

"Impax 11.0 like the one I have," I said as I held up my arm

"Is he cute?" Eli smirked. I felt heat rush to my cheeks. Eli chuckled at my embarrassment. "So he is!"

"Listen why don't you eat your fried rice" I crossed my arms as the clerk dispensed our food.

"Dude you're going to regret that fried rice" I chuckled as Eli shook her head.

"Hell no! That was worth it" She raised an eyebrow as we walked towards the oculus headquarters. A man dressed in a tuxedo checked our tickets and handed us welcoming bags with various items in it. Eli looked through it and pulled out a copy of the game that came out of the collaboration effort. There were other trinkets like high-end candies and cleaning kits for multiple types of electronics. I put both of our bags into my backpacks. We were greeted by the head of the Seattle branch of the oculus.

"Good evening. Who might you two be?" Asked the wife of the man.

"This is Doctor Nika Siegenthaler and I'm Elias Kanumba, her best friend"

"Nice to meet you two" Said her husband, looking a bit distracted.

We shook hands and Eli and I entered the headquarters. Servers dressed in black clothing passed by with small dishes and cocktails. Clusters of people dressed in elegant outfits talked and laughed while sipping the drinks handed to them. Eli pulled me towards a room down the hallway with a lit sign above it reading "Testing". We settled in line behind a couple.

"Hey I just need to get your information. Any implants or bionic-" A voice said. I turned around and saw Felix. He looked at me and my outfit before looking at Eli and then back to me. "Dr. Siegenthaler" His face turned a shade of pink.

"Felix. Hey, I forgot you work here" I said Placing a hand on his shoulder. "Oh I have an Impax 11.0 arm, and an Impax 11.0 hand, and an Oculus information processor temporal implant" I told him, He scribbled down my information.

"I'm fully cybernetic," Eli told Felix. Felix nodded.

"How's your arm working?" I asked, gesturing to the bionic.

"It's great. Thank you" He smiled. He was able to write with ease. Eli poked and eyed Felix.

"Is that him?" she whispered. I nodded.

"Okay I'll have one of you go with my coworker Gregg-" Felix was interrupted by Eli walking over to where Gregg was. Felix looked back at where Eli was and then back to me. "I guess you're with me"


	6. Six

"Okay so this is something that can be added onto your information processor..." Felix said as he pulled me aside to a private testing room.

"Oh sweet" I smiled at him.

"Yeah and it will allow you to be fully immersed in a game. It reads your nerve impulses and directs them to your character inside the game"

"Wow. I guess they really are advancing" I said to myself.

"Yeah. It means you don't have to have a controller" Felix explained

"So then how do you pull out?" I asked. He went silent and his cheeks flushed pink.

"Oh you can interact with an on-screen option" He told me. "Now let's get you settled in" He said as he gestured towards a chair. I sat down and he began doing buckles. "Since the product isn't fully released we have to use precaution when it comes to testing the new technology" He said as he buckled my ankles to the chair. He then did the buckles at my wrists. There were two more buckles, one at my stomach and one over my chest. He hesitated, drawing his arm back.

"Is this okay?" He asked, pointing to the buckle.

"Hey it's your job. Don't chicken out on me, Fi" I laughed. He nodded and snapped the remaining buckles together. He pushed a button in my temporal implant and inserted a USB into it. My vision suddenly changed. I was in a completely different land. I felt headphones being placed onto my head but I couldn't see anything when I looked around.

"You're in the simulation. Any actions you try to do now will only control your character. Go ahead and explore around" He told me.

"This is really weird. I'm so confused. What is this?" I said a bit panicky. I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped.

"Sorry to startle you. It's a new experience but everyone has this reaction their first time" He explained. "Go ahead and head towards the city you see," He told me. I glanced around at the pavement under me. Kanji was written in white on the road. I glanced up at towering skyscrapers. I knew this city. It was the Neon District of Neo-Seattle. I began sprinting down the street and I headed straight towards a noodle shop. It was a perfect recreation. Dishes were still in the sink. I heard a grumbling outside the establishment. I saw a decaying man walk towards the store. I jumped back.

"Where's my weapon?" I asked

"Look down at your arm" He said. I looked down and on my arm was a screen with seven inventory slots. I chose the lazer katana and began slicing and dicing anyone who approached me. I got to a bathhouse once I cleared up the street. I noticed a glowing item and reached for it. I instinctively grasped it and the item was put in my inventory. I healed myself before continuing to defend Neo-Seattle. The screen turned black and I was put back into reality. Felix took his hand off my shoulder once I regained sight. He unplugged the USB from my temple and closed the hatch.

"That was amazing!" I told him. He grinned as he undid the restraints. I sat up and hugged him once my arms were free. I pulled away and let him get my legs free. I stood up but felt weak in the knees so I sat back down.

"Oh yeah, I think I forgot to mention, the first few times it takes a bit for your nerve impulses to begin sending correctly so I'm gonna have you stay seated for a bit" He said as he wrote something on his tablet.

"Felix...why'd you move to America?" I asked him, leaning in.

"I needed to get away" He said, putting the tablet down. "I was stuck in a bad position" I nodded, understanding him.

"Things are better now?" I asked. He nodded.

"A lot better"

"What area do you live in?" I asked.

"Oh I'm on company housing so it's near the edge of the oculus property by the border into Tokyo district"

"Oh I had dinner there with Eli at Miu's" I told him. "I'm near the little Germanic district. Down where all the American themed diners are for some reason"

"That's far away from the cybernetic treatment center"

"I have an AirLyft membership since I take one every day" I explained. "I'm in Tokyo district a lot, would you ever consider meeting up or something?" I said softly.

"Oh uh yeah" Felix blushed a bright red.

"Cool" I smiled and placed my hand on his. I took a moment to just notice his eyes. He pulled away.

"Do you think you can stand?" He asked me. I nodded. He held out a hand and I held onto him while standing up. He helped walk me outside to the main gathering area. "Hey if you're bored you could always come back over to testing and hang with me. I can get some guys to cover for me" He said as he let go of my hand.

"I think I might" I told him with a smile. "I don't like crowds"

"Nika! It's that doctor!" Eli dragged me by the wrist into a crowd. I looked back at Felix who looked disappointed. He turned back around and headed to the testing center again.

"Eli I was talking to someone!" I got Eli to let go of me. "Listen you should go get him. I'm not interested" I told her.

"Okay" She shrugged. "Don't be surprised if I don't come home tonight"

I nodded and headed back to where I thought Felix was. He had vanished from the spot where we were talking. I noticed Gregg standing and decided to walk over to where he was. "Hey Gregg, do you know where Felix went?" I asked him.

"Oh check the staff room. There's food in there and stuff" He gestured to a black door with a silver plate on it. I nodded and headed towards the door. I knocked lightly on the door. A woman with purple hair opened it.

"You don't look familiar. This is for staff only, lady" She said as she closed the door.

"Wait" I pleaded. She opened the door again and crossed her arms. "I'm looking for Felix," I told her.

"Are you a stalker or something?" She asked.

"No I'm his cybernetic engineer" I explained and held up an ID I kept in my pocket.

"Felix!" She shouted. "You have a chick here for you!" Rushing footsteps approached the door. Felix, now dressed in a graphic tee under a puffy black windbreaker along with some form-fitting jeans. He grabbed my hand.

"Hey I'm ready to leave" He told me. I nodded and followed alongside him. We passed by Felix's boss on the way out. The man seemed confused but Felix didn't acknowledge his presence. Felix pulled me back towards the northeastern part of the property. We walked along the small roads connecting the different buildings.

"Why was this so sudden?" I asked him.

"I'm bored" He said looking back at me with a smile.

"How is it. Working for Oculus. I get a suspicion you don't like it" I pulled him to a halt. He sighed and looked down at his feet.

"It doesn't pay much and the housing is shit. I got it to generate some money right when moving to America but I didn't expect to be working there that long. This wasn't a part of the plan" He explained.

"Are you looking at any other company?" I asked him.

"Kind of? I want to pursue my online entertainment career"

"Then go for it" I placed a hand on his chest. He took a moment to think. I tilted my head to get a better look at him. He nodded.

"Okay. Fuck it" He smiled. I wrapped my arms around him and melted into the warmth of his hug.

"Can we get inside somewhere? I'm cold" I said in his ear.

We made it to his apartment which was in the Tokyo District. I could tell three men lived here. Bowls were hastily thrown into the sink and the trash was piling up.

"It's a mess. I'm sorry" He said as he brought me over to the couch. I sat down next to him. "I don't plan on staying here long but it's better than being outside in all of that"

"We should go back to my place," I told him. "I can grab a jacket and then I can find somewhere for us to go or something," I told him.

"Okay, but how are we going to-"

"I have an Airlyft pass" I held up a card for him.

"Okay. let me leave a note or something." He said as he got up. He began typing on a screen mounted to the door. He then turned to me. I got up and followed him out of the apartment building. We walked down the staircase together. I pushed a button on my Airlyft card and a lyft hovering above made a U-Turn before landing in front of us. I opened the door for Felix and got in with him. The cab took off and headed towards the Germanic district. The short buildings of the Tokyo district began to fade into the background as the car flew between bright flashing skyscrapers which littered Neo-Seattle. The car finally spun around before landing in the plaza in front of my apartment building. I let myself out of the car. I grabbed Felix's hand and led him into the lobby. He eyed the fountain out front on the plaza. He looked at himself in the mirror and adjusted his hair. I led him into the elevator and hit the button for the sixty-third floor.

"It's all so high end" He said softly.

"It is. But my roommate comes from wealth so it's not surprising" I shrugged. The elevator let us off and I started down the hallway, Felix followed behind. I got to my apartment and looked into the camera by the lock. A green light flashed and the lock clicked open. I let both Felix and I into the apartment. I set down my backpack on the counter. Felix looked around in awe. I took his jacket from him and hung it on the back of one of the barstools by the entrance.

"Can I see your arm?" I asked him. He nodded and held it out. I was surprised by the fast healing rate. I brushed a finger along the plate intersections. He eyed my hands. "You're healing really well" I said with a smile.

"Can I ask you something?" He said, turning more towards me. I nodded. "Is it wrong for a patient to be attracted to his doctor?"  
"I feel like the more important question is if it's wrong for a doctor to be into her patient" I felt my cheeks heat up. He placed his thumb under my chin and tilted my head up. I felt his lips press to mine before withdrawing again.

"I guess the answer is no then" He chuckled.


	7. Seven

April 15th, 2059

I removed my gloves and placed them in the biohazard bin.

"Looks good! I trust that you can stitch them up?" I asked an intern. He nodded. "Have a great rest of your night, Alex. Don't forget to send him to recovery, though" I said as I left the operation table. I sighed as I walked down the hall towards my room. I removed my scrubs and got back into my day clothes. I let my hair down and ran my fingers through it. My ears ached where my surgical mask was sitting. I felt a buzzing in my arm. I pushed a button by my wrist to reveal a screen. A message read "Incoming call from Felix". I pressed the accept button and pushed a button on my information processor chip.

"Hey. When will you be home?" He asked.

"I just got out of surgery so maybe twenty minutes?" I told him. "Is everything okay at home?"

"Yeah. Missy was being a bit bitchy so I put her in my office after recording so she could calm down"

"Oh how did the recording go today? You said you were feeling burnt out" I asked him as I put my lanyard around my neck. I left the room and began walking towards the stairwell.

"I got two videos done and ready to send off". I smiled when I heard him say this.

"That's great! You deserve the night off tonight, I'll take care of every-"

"No way. You just performed a seven-hour surgery. We'll take care of everything together and then have a movie night" He told me. "I'll let you go now but we also have a surprise for you"

"Please don't tell me you burned down the kitchen" I sighed. "But alright, I'll let you go now"  
"Bye, Nika"

I exited the hospital and pushed the button on my AirLyft pass. A taxi landed in front of me and opened its doors. I got inside and buckled up. I typed in my address to a screen mounted to the back of the headrest on the passenger seat. The taxi lifted off and headed towards the vivid district. The car dodged between towering buildings. The car then settled down in front of a large glass building. I thanked the driver and got out of the car. The doors opened to let me in. I glanced at the mirrored walls, sighing at how disheveled I looked. I pushed a button and stepped into the elevator. I typed in the number 63 on the floor selection screen and grabbed the railing. The elevator took off, raising quickly until eventually stopping at the sixty-third level. I walked down the hallway until I got to my door. I looked into the camera by the doorbell. The lock clicked open and I walked inside.

"Mom!" Liam shouted. The five-year-old came running into the room. I held my arms open and braced for impact. I picked him up and spun him around. Our dog, bear, barreled towards the two of us.

"Bear says hi!" Liam squealed, pointing towards the dog. Felix walked out of his recording room.

"I see him," I told Liam. "You think he wants some dinner?" I asked him as I set him back down on the floor. Liam nodded.

"Liam go get your sister, we need to get the surprise" Felix said, crouching down to the boys level. The young boy ran off. Felix pressed his lips to mine and wrapped his arms around me.

"Did you get enough videos recorded for our trip?" I asked him. I felt him nod. "I think the kids will be excited to see their grandparents again"

"I bet you'll be even happier to see your surprise" He said as he hugged me tighter.

"I'm nervous, Fi" I said as I pulled away. I turned to the hall as I heard footsteps running out to the living room.

"Mom we have to show you!" Ella said as she ran to the fridge.

"They wanted to make you something," Felix said with a smile. Ella and Liam set down a homemade cake. On top was a crudely drawn picture of our family. Missy and Bear sat on the side.

"I made the picture!" Ella bounced up and down happily. "See I got dad's arm!" She pointed to a bulky arm attached to Felix's noodle arm.

"I love it!" I said as I grabbed plates for the four of us.

~

"Hey what movie should we watch?" I asked Felix as I went through our collection.

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"Maybe..." I pulled out a copy of Howl's Moving Castle "a classic"


End file.
